Exit Exam for Allied Health Science Students

An exit examination tests students at the end of their program of study for attainment of the program’s intended learning outcomes. While such examinations are not very common for bachelor’s degree students of Allied Health Science (AHS) courses, NCAHP (National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions) act, 2021 dated 28th March 2021, features the conduction of exit exam for allied and healthcare professionals for professional practice or entrance into postgraduate or doctoral level and National Teachers Eligibility Test for academicians. In the wake of this, Board of studies of Allied Health Sciences of RGUHS, Karnataka has proposed the exit examination for final year AHS students to be implemented for students completing the degree in 2023.

Though exit exam acts as an academic performance indicator, many doubts arise in implementing the examination for AHS students. Many discussions are underway highlighting the pros and cons of this examination. While it may provide a more objective evaluation of student’s learning, conducting the examination for 15 different AHS bachelor’s degree courses may prove difficult. The system may also fail to fairly evaluate student achievement owing to certain subtle biases.

The exit exam may prove stressful and emotional to many AHS students. After putting all the hard work to crack the regular exam, students might lose focus and sit mindlessly to prepare for the exit exam. Certain students might develop anxiety to fact it. Thus, it is imperative for the policy makers to ensure that exam formats are creative and flexible enough to cater to all types of students. The content of exam should be broad enough to cover the range of skills expected from students when entering the healthcare service.

With a defined curriculum for the theory and practical subjects, it would be apt if the institutions handling the courses conduct the exit exam after the students complete their internship. Though passing the exit exam is a prerequisite for degree completion, placing too much emphasis on a single exam can undermine the quality of education and jeopardize equality of opportunity. The system must permit multiple attempts in the event of failure.

Therefore, even before the implementation of the exit exam, there is a greater need to create awareness among the students about the exit exam and the related favorable labor market outcomes. Training teachers on the concept of exit exam and to include the exam curriculum design in their teaching methods will certainly give clarity on the assessment strategies. The decision on contribution percentage of the exit exam to the regular examination results will play a great role as the exam scores will feature in the final transcript of the student.

One cannot just keep doing what works on time; Change in inevitable. As educators, we are only as effective as we know. With adequate insight into the new concept of EXIT exam, I am sure “Nothing is impossible; The word itself says I’m possible”

Editorial was reviewed by Professor Shenoy, Director Padmashree group of Institutions, Bangalore.